This
workshop will show you how writers plot a novel and will
give you the best tips on writing short stories. We’ll also look at where to
get your stories published and how to win contests. Best yet, you’ll see how to
apply the story-building techniques you’ve learned to your own writing.

Workshop leader Brian Henryhas been a book editor and creative writing instructor
for more than 25 years. He publishesQuick Brown
Fox, Canada’s most popular
blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University, and has led
workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown.
But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get
published.

CookeMcDermid was created in 2017 by the amalgamation of two preeminent Canadian
agencies, The Cooke Agency and The McDermid Agency. CookeMcDermid is a full-service literary agency representing authors of
literary, commercial and speculative fiction; a broad range of narrative nonfiction;
health, wellness and lifestyle resources; and middle-grade and young adult
books.

Paige Sisleyjoined CookeMcDermid (then The Cooke Agency) in June 2013 following an
internship and is now an associate agent. Paige has her Master of Arts from
Ryerson University's Literatures of Modernity program and a Bachelor’s degree
in English from the University of King's College and Dalhousie.

Paige is currently building her list as a keen and market-focused
reader. When it comes to fiction she is looking for smart, well-written
commercial novels that both entertain and have something to say (e.g. Liane
Moriarty's Big Little Lies and Eliza Kennedy’s I Take
You). She’s seeking books that can compete with Netflix for people’s time,
but that someone like Reese Witherspoon might in turn be interested in
adapting for Netflix.

Paige also represents nonfiction books in the lifestyle and health and
wellness space. In both categories, Paige is attracted to books that enhance
lives, either through a practical application or by shifting and expanding
their reader’s worldview.

When Paige’s head isn’t in a book you can find her baking, at a concert,
or simply watching the world go by in her busy downtown Toronto neighborhood. A
born and bred Torontonian, Paige loves to travel and has also lived in LA, a
sleepy New Zealand surf town, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. She's on Twitterhere.

In the subject line, you must include “Author Query” are welcome to
include the first 4 pages of your manuscript pasted into the query. No
attachments. Please do not send any further material unless invited.. Full
submission guidelineshere.

Note:Paige will be the guest speaker at theHow to Get
Publishedworkshop Saturday,
August 18, 2018, in Collingwood. Detailshere.

Rachel Letofskyjoined the
Cooke Agency in 2010 and is now an associate agent. She frequently travels
throughout Canada and the US to various writer’s festivals and literary events
such as Bloody Words, PNWA, CanSCAIP, SiWC, VWF, NorthWords and Quick Brown Fox
workshops.

Rachel is actively seeking ground-breaking and heart-breaking middle
grade and young adult titles in all genres. She is drawn to works with a
whimsical nature or a grounded, gritty edge in equal measure, though in either
instance, unforgettable characters and original concepts are a must. Rachel
also has a natural soft-spot for exquisite literary fiction.

In nonfiction, Rachel is looking for narrative-driven memoirs, and
anything quirky and life-affirming. Rachel is particularly committed to working
with previously unpublished authors in a focused, collaborative and hands-on
manner.

In the subject line, you must include “Author Query” are welcome to
include the first 4 pages of your manuscript pasted into the query. No
attachments. Please do not send any further material unless invited.. Full
submission guidelineshere.

Ron
Eckel is a literary agent at Cooke-McDermid and co-owner of
Cooke International, an agency specializing in foreign rights management for a
diverse group of publishing clients. He is a graduate of Simon Fraser
University’s Master of Publishing program and a twenty-year veteran of Canadian
publishing. Ron worked with Penguin Group Canada, Westwood Creative Artists,
and Random House of Canada before joining CookeMcDermid and Cooke
International.

As an agent Ron is particularly drawn to dark fiction, both
commercial and literary, in the areas of horror, suspense, and psychological
thriller.

In the subject line, you must include “Author Query” are welcome to
include the first 4 pages of your manuscript pasted into the query. No
attachments. Please do not send any further material unless invited. Full
submission guidelineshere.

Suzanne Brandreth is an agent with
CookeMcDermid and a co-owner of Cooke International, an agency specializing in
foreign rights management for a diverse group of publishing clients. She has
worked in publishing for over 20 years, as an independent bookseller, an
editor, and, since 2003, an agent.

Suzanne has close working relationships around
the world, frequently travels to New York and London, and has participated in
numerous publishing fellowships in Frankfurt, Jerusalem, Taiwan, Turin, and the
United Arab Emirates. Suzanne is a hands-on agent and works with her clients to
brainstorm and fine-tune book ideas and substantively edit proposals or
manuscripts before submission.

Whether literary or commercial novels or
evidence-based and narrative nonfiction, Suzanne seeks stories that challenge
the mind and/or move the heart. She is the agent for Rupi Kaur’s international
bestseller the sun
and her flowers, CS Richardson’s perennial bestseller The End of the Alphabet, and Emily White’s ground-breaking Lonely: Learning to Live with Solitude.

In the subject line, you must include “Author Query” are welcome to
include the first 4 pages of your manuscript pasted into the query. No
attachments. Please do not send any further material unless invited. Full
submission guidelines here.

Chris began his career at the University of Toronto Press and soon
became an acquisitions editor in social sciences and cultural studies. Chris
joined HarperCollins Canada in 2003 as a nonfiction editor. Moving to
McClelland & Stewart in 2004, Chris helped revitalize their nonfiction
program, establishing relationships with international authors, agents and
publishers.

Chris represents both fiction and nonfiction. In particular, he’s looking
for literary fiction, mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction,
commercial literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. For nonfiction, he seeks
popular science, sports, popular culture, politics, essays, and history.

In the subject line, you must include “Author Query” are welcome to
include the first 4 pages of your manuscript pasted into the query. No
attachments. Please do not send any further material unless invited. Full
submission guidelineshere.

Martha Webbis a literary agent and part owner of CookeMcDermid.
She represents a wide range of books, but her list focusesprimarilyon
literary fiction, narrative nonfiction (including memoir and true crime) and
ideas-driven nonfiction. She is especially drawn to approaches that are
thought-provoking, controversial, change the conversation on a given subject or
have a positive impact on people’s lives.

In the subject line, you must include “Author Query”
are welcome to include the first 4 pages of your manuscript pasted into the
query. No attachments. Please do not send any further material unless
invited. Full submission guidelines here.

Author Kira Vermond

If you’re interested in getting published, soon or somewhere down the
road, don’t miss upcomingHow to Get Published workshops on
Saturday, Aug 18, in Collingwood with literary agent Paige Sisley (seehere)
and Saturday, Nov 17, in Mississauga with literary agent Stephanie Sinclair
(seehere).

For updated listing of How to Get Published
workshops, seehere(and scroll
down).

If you’re interested in Writing for Children & for Young Adults, Brian Henry will lead a mini-conference withYasemin Uçar, senior
editor at Kids Can Press, children’s author Kira Vermond, and YA author Tanaz
Bhathena, Saturday, Sept 22, in Oakville (see here), a Writing Kid Lit weekly course on Friday afternoons, Oct 5 – Nov 30
in Toronto (see here), and
a Writing for Children & for Young
Adults workshop Saturday, October 12,
in Sudbury (see here).

For updated listings of Writing for
Children & for Young adult workshops and for weekly Kid lit classes,
see here(and scroll down).

New:November
at the Briar’s Writing Retreat,Friday, Nov 2 – Sunday, Nov 4. Three days to put up your feet, recharge
your creative batteries, and get some great writing tips – all in the
supportive company of your fellow writers. Detailshere.

This September, Brian is leading a full roster of courses, Introductory
to Intense (Details of all six courses here):

Navigation tips: Always check out the labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to
various distinct collections of postings. Also, if you're searching for a
literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Published by Knopf Canada, October
2017. Available in hard cover for
$20.37; in Kobo e-book for $12.99; audio for $14.99 here.

I just finished Tom Hanks’ book of
short stories.
I’m a big fan of his, both as an actor and a human being, so I was anxious to
see if it was any good. Short stories are also my favourite genre to write,
which made me doubly curious.

The
book title is completely apt. Not only are they good, unique stories, they
range from being set in the 1950s to several years in the future, and each
story mentions a typewriter. Sometimes it’s crucial to the plot, but more often
you just catch the reference in passing. It took me a few stories to notice.

I
enjoyed “Uncommon Type” as an audio book read by the author and felt this was
the ideal way to experience it. When books are read by the authors, I get a much
better sense of the message they want to get across.

The
stories could be enjoyed as stand alone pieces, but there were some linked
ones, starting from the first story, “Three Exhausting Weeks.” There were four
characters introduced here that recur twice more in the book, MDash, Anna,
Steve Wong and an unnamed narrator. They also appear in “Alan Bean Plus Four”
and “Steve Wong is Perfect.”

I
felt the weakest of these was, “Alan Bean Plus Four.” It speaks to Hank's well
know obsession with all things space related, but I couldn’t summon up the suspension
of disbelief required to truly enjoy this one.

On
the other hand, I did like “Steve Wong is Perfect” and it is set in various
bowling alleys which are not places where I would expect a short story to
receive life.

The other linked pieces, “Our Town Today by
Hank Fiset” are formatted like newspaper columns. They were enjoyable and
provided a breather on a couple of levels. The rest of the stories were quite
long and some dealt with difficult circumstances; these ones were lighter in
tone and shorter.

If
I were to try to pick a favourite, it would be a draw between “A Special
Weekend” and “A Month on Greene Street.” Totally different perspectives, an
almost 10-year-old boy and a newly divorced single Mom, but they were quiet,
character-driven works.

An
added attraction to the audio version of the book was the final piece, “Stay
With Us.” It was set up as a radio program rather than a short story read by
Hanks. He incorporated other actors playing the characters,including Peter Scolari, Holland Taylor, Peter
Gerety and Wilmer Valderrama.

Overall,
I thought this collection was strong, Hanks touched on themes of love,
betrayal, family, war and where we might evolve as humans in the future. He
also wrote from various points of view including both male and female at
different stages of life.

Some
of the stories were humorous, some were straight up drama, others a blend of
the two, but they were good examples of the short story genre.

Note: Quick Brown Fox always welcomes your book
reviews (or any kind of review). You can read an essay about how to write a
book review hereand see guidelines about submitting
reviews of any kind to Quick Brown Foxhere.

QBF also
welcomes essays about a favourite book or your experience of reading or
writing. Read a few essays on the blog to get a taste of what other writers
have done (see here and scroll down), write your own, and
submit it to me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Debra Porter has been writing short
stories for several years, but thought she’d try something different, hence
this book review, her first. Debra is looking to further branch out when she
takes Brian Henry’s “Writing Personal Stories” course
starting in October.

If it's past Aug 18, you can see details of upcoming "How
to Get Published" workshops here (and
scroll down).

If you've ever dreamed of becoming a published author,this
workshop is for you. We’ll cover everything from getting started to getting an
agent, from getting your short pieces published to finding a book publisher,
from writing a query letter to writing what the publishers want. Bring your
questions. Come and get ready to be published!Special Option:Participants
are invited to bring a draft of a query letter you might use to interest an
agent or publisher in your book. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you
do, three copies could be helpful.

And be sure to bring your elevator pitch! Following the end of
the formal workshop at about 3:45, Brian Henry will be staying for at least
half an hour and helping interested attendees, who didn’t have their queries
critiqued earlier, write query letters that will get a yes, while literary
agent Paige Sisley will be listening to your pitches. Agents come to these
events wanting to hear what you’ve got and hoping to find authors they want to
represent.

Guest speaker, Paige
Sisley, is a literary agent with the CookeMcDermidagency,
a new company formed through the amalgamation of The Cooke Agency and The
McDermid Agency.

Paige joined
CookeMcDermid (then The Cooke Agency) in June 2013 following an internship.
Paige has her Master of Arts from Ryerson University's Literatures of Modernity
program and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of King's
College and Dalhousie.

American War by Omar el Akkad,represented by CookeMcDermid

Paige is currently building her list as a keen and
market-focused reader. When it comes to fiction she is looking for smart,
well-written commercial novels that both entertain and have something to say
(e.g. Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies and Eliza Kennedy’s I
Take You). She’s seeking books that can compete with Netflix for people’s
time, but that someone like Reese Witherspoon might in turn be interested in
adapting for Netflix.

Paige also represents nonfiction books in
the lifestyle and health and wellness space. In both categories, Paige is
attracted to books that enhance lives, either through a practical application
or by shifting and expanding their reader’s worldview.

When Paige’s head isn’t in a book you can
find her baking, at a concert, or simply watching the world go by in her busy
downtown Toronto neighborhood. A born and bred Torontonian, Paige loves to
travel and has also lived in LA, a sleepy New Zealand surf town, and Halifax,
Nova Scotia. She's on Twitter here.

Workshop
leader Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative
writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishesQuick Brown Fox,
Canada’s most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson
University, and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from
Sarnia to Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of
his students get their first book published and launch their careers as
authors. See reviews of Brian's classes and workshops here.

Thursday, August 9, 2018

It’s been three yearssince I last visited an art gallery, so I’m not exactly a professional critic. In 2015, I
attended an exhibit with my art history class to see various works of art from
past eras. I didn’t enjoy it much at that time.

Last week, I got a chance to visit The Next Big Thing, a show at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre art gallery. This time I went
with my creative writing class and I was given the opportunity to view contemporary
art made by young, aspiring artists. I enjoyed these modern pieces a lot more
than the historical ones I saw before, as most of the art was inspired by present
day events and political issues. I particularly liked the image of artist Sage Szkabarnicki-Stuart,
which depicted her draped in a garbage-bag swimsuit surrounded by numerous
other plastic bags.

As she lies in the dark, polluted
water, it appears she’s no different than the waste surrounding her. It really
makes you think of how carelessly people pollute the very same environment in
which we live and breathe.

I found the image of her lying still, seemingly
dead, very powerful. To me, the image shows that, while pollution can easily be
ignored, something as valuable as a human being’s life stands out much more.
Sage manages to deliver a strong message through a single photo, beautifully
captured, with each item carefully placed in the frame.

The other works of art were also very
creative with each artist having their own unique style. This gave a nice
overall diversity to the show, as each piece offered something different. Since
we visited the gallery after hours and we had the place to ourselves, the
atmosphere was very relaxing and we were given enough time to examine each
piece thoroughly.

Each work of art was also accompanied by a short description
to give visitors more information about the artists and their work. One
suggestion I recommend that would enhance the mood in the gallery is the
addition of calm, soothing music to further immerse visitors in the experience.

Overall, I thought the class trip to
see The Next Big Thing was a great
experience. Wandering around the exhibit and examining the different works of
art helped expand my creativity by taking in inspiration from these talented
artists. I would recommend visiting this gallery to anyone who appreciates
contemporary art and prefers a cozier atmosphere rather than a large, crowded
exhibit.

Note: The Next Big Thing runs through to August 18, 2018, at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre Gallery. Details here.

Amir Yani is an aspiring journalist currently living in Mississauga,
Ontario. He discovered his passion for writing in high school. Amir enjoys
writing reviews and sharing his opinions about his hobbies and personal
experiences. He recently graduated from McMaster University with a Commerce
degree and is now pursuing a career in writing.

Brian Henry has been a book editor, writer, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He teaches creative writing at Ryerson University. He also leads weekly creative writing courses in Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville and Georgetown and conducts Saturday workshops throughout Ontario. His proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.